Garden rooms or saunas: which one to choose?

Having a small garden plot, we often face the dilemma of what kind of building to use it for. While some are considering the need for saunas in the winter, others are reluctant to give up on the benefits of garden rooms in the summer. What if we said it is not necessary to choose one of these options? The truth is that if summer houses are designed wisely, they can perform both functions.

What do these garden rooms – saunas look like and what do you need to know about their construction? Those are the topics of this article.

What do you need to know before starting construction?

A small plot of the garden and the large supply of saunas make the question of building your sauna very debatable. However, if you like to treat yourself with the benefits of a sauna quite often, and plan to install a garden room on your plot anyways, a garden house – sauna could be a great investment.

Although these types of buildings are usually not large – they consist of a sauna room and a small living space with the necessary amenities – after careful consideration of all the details, it is possible to create a cozy and functional space for yourself and your beloved ones. During the construction, the most attention in the case of this building requires the installation of a sauna: not only proper insulation of walls and floors but also high-quality ventilation and other safety aspects have to be taken care of.

Requirements for construction

Before engaging in any construction on your site, it is important to know the construction requirements for the buildings. A permit for the building will be required in the case of garden rooms – saunas larger than 80 m2 or higher than 8.5 m. No less important is the location of the planned construction: without a permit, the installation of even the smallest buildings is not possible if the plot is included in a cultural heritage site.

True, even if a building permit for the planned summer house with a sauna is not required, it is worth knowing that the building will still have to meet the established requirements – garden rooms – saunas must maintain a regulated distance – at least 3 meters to the plot boundary. If the distance is shorter, the written consent of the owner of the neighboring plot must be obtained before construction begins. When installing a building in which a sauna or sauna will be integrated, it is especially important to comply with all fire and sanitary distance requirements.

Garden rooms – saunas: useful tips for construction

The first thing to consider when deciding what size of a garden room with a sauna to build is the number of people who will be using it. If you imagine a garden house with a sauna or a sauna as a private rest area for yourself and your beloved ones, the optimal size of it could be 2 x 2.5 m, and the ceiling height could be about 2.2 m. In this case, two people will not only be able to enjoy sauna, but you will also find space for rituals.

The second important thing is that when installing a sauna, enough attention should be paid to its floor. Although the floor is usually made of wood, replacing it with concrete and placing a wooden grille on it will make it easy for a collection of water and replacing the floor if necessary. Probably the most important element of a sauna is a stove, which can be both wood-fired and electric. Although wood-burning stoves are inseparable from the traditional image of a sauna and there are various useful improvements of it nowadays, garden houses with saunas usually have an electric stove. Given that electric stoves are not heated by fire, they do not require a chimney or firebox, which is much more compatible with this universal building. It is also important to mention that electric stoves are not subject to such high safety standards, unlike wood-burning stoves. It is also worth mentioning that, depending on the modernity of the electric stove, it is often possible to adjust the humidity level, thus changing even the type of sauna itself.